Two locals head to D.C.; others will dance, note event in other ways

With 10 days remaining until Barack Obama's inauguration as the nation's 44th president, Corvallis Democrats and other supporters already have started to note the historic occasion in a variety of ways, ranging from the sale of commemorative chocolate bars and "Barack O'Brownies" to organizing Corvallis' own inaugural ball.

Judy Fortmiller of Corvallis and her sister Frieda Flint know exactly where they'll be spending the day - at the inauguration in Washington, D.C. And they are grateful to luck and the generosity to friends and strangers alike.

Thanks to a generous donation of a winning raffle ticket from the Benton County Democrats, they had transportation to the event and to a ball. With help from U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio of Springfield they also acquired tickets to the ceremony. It also took help from KFIR radio in Sweet Home and Pathfinder Travel to secure two of the 240,000 official tickets to the standing-only Jan. 20 outdoor inauguration ceremony of Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden. The theme for the event is "A New Birth of Freedom."

Fortmiller and Flint will attend one of the 10 official inaugural balls where Barack and Michelle Obama and Joe and Jill Biden are likely to make an appearance.

(By the way, the Presidential Inaugural Committee is warning people to beware of any Web site or individual offering tickets to the inauguration ceremony. These much-sought-after tickets can be distributed only through members of Congress).

Fortmiller said Friday that the inaugural trip actually began Dec. 21, when fellow Democratic activist Merry Demarest had the winning raffle ticket drawn from the 150 tickets sold by the Benton County Democrats as a fundraiser. The ticket was good for transportation to the Portland airport, a place to stay the night before their flight and tickets to one of the inaugural balls and $25 in tickets for the Metro, the subway system in D.C.

A friend of Fortmiller's, Demarest said she gave away her winning ticket because she knew someone else who'd never witnessed the event would appreciate it more.

"Basically, I was able to go to (President Bill) Clinton's first inauguration in 1993," Demarest said. "It was a peak experience kind of thing," she said.

Fortmiller, like Demarest, is a Hillary Clinton supporter, but she also supports Obama. And she knew her sister Frieda - an Obama supporter from the start - would be thrilled to attend.

Fortmiller said she's ready. She's equipped now with a warm coat and shoes in case the January day brings frigid temperatures to rival those at the coldest-ever inauguration ceremony of Ronald Reagan (7 degrees). To the Western/Southwestern State official inaugural ball, she plans to wear an elegant black, gray and white sequined top and black velvet trousers to dance in celebration.

That night, Democrats in Corvallis can dance the night away (until 11:30 p.m. anyway) at the "Choose Local for Obama Inauguration," being dubbed as the "First-Ever Corvallis Inaugural Ball."

The event is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Corvallis Senior Center, 2601 N.W. Tyler Ave. Seniors and children can attend free. Tickets are limited to 250 and are available at Grass Roots Books & Music, 227 S.W. Second St. About 100 tickets already have sold.

But even those who are not into dancing or travel can note the occasion closer to home.

Chocolatier Patrick Magee, the owner of Burst's Candies at 353 S.W. Madison Ave, has prepared a special 2-ounce chocolate bar. Wrapped in coppery-gold foil and a striped blue, red and dark blue sleeve that reads "Yes we can!" on the front, the $3 commemorative bars don't actually name Obama, but they were relevant enough to prompt the sale of the first 200 in three days.

It's the second time, Magee said, that he's made candy to suit a special occasion. For Corvallis' 150th birthday last year, he made 400 milk chocolate coins.

At least one other local Obama-inspired product is the "Barack O'Brownie," selling for $2.50 at the Sunnyside-Up cafe at 116 N.W. Third St. It carries a message appropriate to the inauguration and to the tasks facing the new president.

The back of the brownie wrapper insert reads "deep dark chocolate because victory is sweet, white chocolate chips because even our brownies can be diverse, and a healthy dose of the finest espresso because we also have much work to do still."